By Megan Moore
IV Leader Staff, May 7, 2009
Illinois Valley Community College sophomore center Brett Barkman, a 2002 graduate of LaMoille High School, will continue his basketball career with the University of Alaska Fairbanks next season.
“I immediately felt comfortable with the coaches and fellow recruits.” Barkman said. “It is the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to see that part of the country for a couple years, not many people get this chance.”
Coach D’Arcy Stanfield is the assistant basketball coach at Alaska and a friend of IVCC men’s basketball coach and athletic director Tommy Canale.
Stanfield took Canale’s word on Barkman’s abilities and was interested in the things coach Canale said Barkman is capable of doing.
Basketball season for Barkman will start in the middle of November.
“I am extremely excited to leave, but I will miss everybody from here, but this is an amazing chance to get out of the Midwest since I have not traveled in my lifetime,” Barkman said.
Barkman said he loved IVCC basketball and getting to know the team, while making lifetime friendships with the coaches and players.
“I wish I could play another two years with IVCC, but I think I have gone here long enough! It has been a blast battling with and for Coach Canale,” he said.
The 25-year-old Barkman worked construction after high school.
When work was rained out one day in 2006, he came to IVCC to play “noon ball.”
That day he caught the eye of then-IVCC coach Mike Riley who convinced him to return to school and try out for the 2007-08 team.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Barkman averaged 8.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 2008-09.
He said he has been grateful for the number of people who have congratulated him and wished him luck for his upcoming season with the Nanooks since the announcement of his signing was made public.
With Nashorn Maynard as the only frontcourt player returning from this year’s team, Coach Clemson Johnson is excited about Barkman and what he can offer. Johnson said. “We want Brett to help out Nash on the boards.”